EDLD 5363 Multimedia and Video Technology Reflection

1. What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
This was one of the few courses that I really felt met or exceeded my expectations. Based on the name I expected to be working with a variety of multimedia applications with a strong emphasis on video production. Our first project, creating a personal photo story was both emotional and challenging. From concept to creation it was a learning experience that made the outcome something I was proud of. It was the first time I worked with MovieMaker and where I don't really prefer it to Adobe Premiere, I understand the challenges my students face when asked to create videos using this program. The group project was equally if not more challenging. Working collaborative in an online course setting to create a video is quite a challenge. We discovered the value of dropbox.com and the importance of file management and sharing files. Also bringing components from 5 different sources is challenging and frustrating at the same time. Even now we are down to the wire and not all components are available to allow us to finalize the project.
2. To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
This course is very relevant to what I do at school. As a Digital Interactive Media (DIM) teacher we teach video and audio production. In addition, we focus on copyright and the project development process. I hope to be able to use some of the techniques and projects that were learned in this class with my students and share some of the resources with fellow teachers. I have already started writing the criteria for my students to create a PSA and have documented the process we went through to put it together.
3. What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
I'm not sure if there were any specific outcomes that I did not achieve. I wanted to complete the group PSA project in a more timely manner and got frustrated by the fact that elements outside my control prevented me from doing so. I think communication is one of the most important aspects of group work, but in addition having everyone do their part correctly makes the collaboration a lot easier. I have always been a perfectionist and prefer to do things myself because I know they will be done right. However, in this particular situation I had no control over another team member sharing her pieces of the video.
4. Were you successful in completing the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
Yes I was successful in completing the course assignments. They were challenging, but doable. The photo story was challenging because I had to collect images to represent that period of my life which was very emotional. Also recording the audio to correspond with the images was also a challenge. The final project as I mentioned before has been a challenge due to the collaboration.
5. What did you learn from this course: about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
I learned that I have acquired many skills that allow me to successfully put together a multimedia production, but with the variety of software available there is always a lot to learn. In addition, teaching, taking care of a 2 year old, and being 7 months pregnant makes anything you do a larger challenge.